Home
by Nightwingess
Summary: Rapunzel makes a surprise visit with the intention of giving Jack a few birthday presents. All goes awry when her mother, Gothel, unexpectedly shows up and insists Rapunzel comes home with her.


**Prompt: I'd like to make a drabble request please and I'm sorry if this is weird buuuuut could you maybe do like a modern AU where Rapunzel and Jack are a couple and she has to sneak out to see him? But one day Gothel accidentally catches them on a date and Jack defends Rapunzel from Gothel when she starts to go off on her?**

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It had taken Rapunzel three hours to get to Jack's house; he lived in a different state and because Rapunzel didn't have a license, which her mother refused to let her get, she was stuck walking and riding buses all the way to his house. It wasn't something she did on a normal basis, in fact she never, ever came to his home and had only been there once. Thankfully, she had a very good memory, mostly from her years of painting by eye, memorizing every detail of whatever it was she was drawing, and recalled most of the road signs and scenery from her last visit.

Normally she'd wait until Jack came to her home at midnight, once a week when her mother was fast asleep. They couldn't meet in school because neither went to school, not conventional school anyway.

Jack was a high school dropout, reason one out of thousand as to why her mother didn't like him, but he was working hard to get his GED in between jobs. He wanted to become a teacher and work with kids in the future and even volunteered with at risk kids. By all accounts, Jack was a good person who cared a lot about others, but it wasn't enough for Rapunzel's mother.

Despite Rapunzel being 18, a legal adult, her mother still forbade her to see him.

_I don't care if he's studying for his PHD, you are not to speak to him!_

From her bedroom door, she'd stare at the moon and hope he'd be thinking of her, and every night he'd stare back and hope she'd be thinking of him.

With her books on her bed, she'd look up now and then at the stars and wonder if he thought she was worth all the trouble. A home schooled girl with an overprotective mother who wouldn't even let her attend painting classes, and a boy working as a custodian at a school, saving up money to go to college. Her mother didn't see them as a likely pair and if it had not been for the lost little kid that had wandered into Rapunzel's home a year ago, they would have never met.

It was Rapunzel who disobeyed her mother's orders to never leave the house without her. It was the very day that her mother had left to go on a day trip for her work. Rapunzel walked with the child all the way to the next state, most of the walk being in the rain. The child had asked, begged Rapunzel not to call the police to help him get home because his parents were undocumented and he had only gotten so lost because he took the wrong bus home. Any other person would have ignored the child's wishes but not Rapunzel, she was too used to that from her own mother.

At one point the child got so tired that she carried him across her shoulders. By the time she got to his neighborhood, the very same neighborhood Jack lived in, she was covered in mud, soaked in rainwater, and exhausted. It was Jack who saw her first, it was Jack who knew exactly what she had done, and it was Jack who felt so enamored with her by her kindness and smile that he did everything he could to make sure she was not only cleaned up but returned home safely. He'd never felt this way before and if anyone had told him that love at first sight existed, he would have laughed in their faces. But this was different, he wasn't in love with her face, he was in love with the way her eyes lit up, the warmth of her touch, the melodious sound of her voice... he was in love with the way she cradled a street kid in her arms as though he was just as precious as any other child, and he was. Jack knew that he'd also come to know others that would have thought the very kid she held and helped carry to bed, was up to no good. She was the least judgmental person he'd ever met.

He thought he was crazy at first for loving a stranger, especially because it was him, Jack Frost the boy who never let him be tied down by anything, certainly not a girl, but he didn't care how odd it seemed, he was in love.

Every Saturday since then, he'd come to see her with a flower he'd picked from a garden. He'd ask her how she was doing, and every other day he'd send a message after teaching her how to hide messages on her computer so that her mother wouldn't see. It was something he'd offered her but didn't force her to do, she willingly accepted the offer, even though there was a bit of guilt from hiding something that big from her mother. Jack wasn't opposed to rule breaking, he thrived in it but he was also aware Rapunzel wasn't the type to go against her mother's orders. Even so, he could hardly hide how happy he was when she agreed.

Jack knew Rapunzel had such few people in her life. In a way, she had friends that came to see her but only when her mother was around and even with all those people, none of them fully understood Rapunzel. They didn't understand why she was so enthusiastic, they didn't understand her love for colors, they didn't understand why she was so excitable for the smallest things but Jack did and he fell more and more for her because of it. It was Jack's acceptance that made her slowly fall for him as well and in time she grew to love him by his mischievous, adventurous ways. She longed to have adventures with him and he had always told her that the second she said yes, he'd take her anywhere she'd want to go.

She couldn't, not yet, not with all the guilt she felt. He knew she knew what he thought of her mother but he never talked about it unless she asked her first because he knew it upset her. Yes, her mother was difficult, yes her mother could say some less than nice things but… but that was a mother being a mother, wasn't it?That was how Rapunzel would explain it.

_She's the only mother I've ever known…_

Their relationship was bound to become something more than pen pals or friends, it was a romance in the making and it was blossoming now.

It was Rapunzel who had gone to see him today, today being his birthday. Sure, she'd sent him a Happy Birthday message, but it wasn't enough. She wanted to sing him a song, give him a box of cookies and see his face so that he could see her face and hear her voice when she told him that she loved him. It was a cheesy, romantic idea but Rapunzel was a fan of such notions and although Jack wasn't, he'd always shown a softer side around her.

It was a bit "hopeless romantic" of her, but she didn't care. Jack had been so understanding of her mother's habits that he deserved that much. He never once blamed Rapunzel for canceling on a date or worrying over what her mother would think. No, he would only ask if Rapunzel was happy at home, he'd ask her if her mother treated her right, he worried about her. She was too trusting, too kind for someone whose mother seemed abusive.

"But she's never hit me." Rapunzel would say.

"There's more than one type of abuse Punz." Jack worried, he couldn't help but worry but Rapunzel's sunny disposition and insistence that she was fine made him not want to press, for now.

When Rapunzel showed up at his doorstep at eleven at night, he was both surprised and happy to see her. He pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head.

"Punz, how'd you get here?"

"I walked, and took the bus." She smiled and hugged him back. He chuckled, of course Rapunzel would see nothing wrong with walking late at night to another state or taking a bus for that matter, not that the buses were bad but walking, walking barefoot at that, was not the best idea she'd had.

He gestured for her to come in.

"I think North just went to sleep, how long are you going to stay?" He didn't mean to imply that he wanted her to spend the night, no he wouldn't ask that of her, but he did wonder how long she would stay after taking three hours to get here and arriving late at night at that. He knew her mother would get wise if she wasn't there in the morning.

"Not too long, I just wanted to give you your gift and sing you a song, that's all, I was going to head back after that." Rapunzel bit her lip, she hadn't thought things through and Jack knew it. It would take her three hours, at least for her to get back, and she wouldn't be home until the morning hours. As much as Rapunzel liked to believe in the best of people, even she knew it wasn't the smartest idea. On top of that her mother was supposed to return early in the morning. She should have left earlier but she'd gotten so distracted with the children outside, playing with them for hours, that she'd forgotten the short amount of time she had. She knew, however, Jack worked during the day and even if she had left when she was supposed to, he'd be too busy to talk to her, hence why she hadn't asked him to come see her.

"I'll drive you back." He kissed her cheek and led her to the kitchen. She pulled out her box of cookies and placed them on the counter and then took out her painting of the winter snow. Snow was one of his favorite things.

"Two gifts?"

"Yes! Well three if you count the song."

"Four if I count your face." He put a hand to his cheek and Rapunzel rolled her eyes.

"I forgot how sappy you get." She said teasingly.

"I can't help but appreciate the fact that my girlfriend came all the way just to give me birthday gifts, if I didn't think that was cute and sweet I wouldn't have a heart." She laughed, "But don't start thinking I'm getting soft Punz."

"Would it really be so bad if the world thought Jack Frost was a sweetheart instead of a troublemaker?"

"Normally yes, I mean I like it when I'm the number one suspect in a prank, but if they think I'm sweet because of you… then maybe, maybe that wouldn't be so bad." She narrowed her eyes and opened the box of cookies.

"Maybe? Maybe I won't give you these delicious cookies I made, maybe I'll just eat them myself." He reached over and took one from the box, she stuck out her tongue.

"Okay princess, it wouldn't be so bad at all." He leaned and kissed her.

Before Rapunzel could respond, there was a knock at the door. It was no ordinary knock, it was a vicious, pounding knock that repeated over and over again. It was accompanied by the harsh voice of Rapunzel's mother who was calling out her name. Her eyes widened, her mother most have gotten home early and discovered Rapunzel was missing. Of course the first thing she'd do was look up Jack's address, where else would Rapunzel be.

"You need to get out of here." Jack said, he reached for Rapunzel's hand but before she could move, the knob was turning and the door had opened. Jack's stomach flipped, he had forgotten to lock the door.

"Rapunzel!" Her mother said sharply.

Rapunzel jumped from her seat, she could hardly breathe. Her mother's eyes looked as though they'd been lit with fire and her lips were pressed together so tightly she thought they'd disappear.

"Mother… I…" She couldn't think of what to say, Jack put a hand on her back to reminder her he was right behind her. He didn't like Gothel, he didn't trust her and he sure as hell didn't want Rapunzel to leave with her, especially when she looked as angry as she did.

"Get in the car." Rapunzel nodded but Jack jumped toward her and touched her shoulder.

"You don't have to go." He whispered.

"Stay out of this you pathetic, insolent-"

"Mother!" Rapunzel cried, "Please…please stop, I'm going." She had tears in her eyes, partly because of her guilt and partly because of what her mother was calling him. Gothel didn't care, she didn't care that her daughter was crying, she didn't care that it was Jack's birthday, she didn't care if people thought she treated her daughter like a prisoner. Rapunzel was hers, her property and that's how she would treat her. She reached for Rapunzel's arm and yanked her toward her. Rapunzel let out a small yelp from the pain.

"Stop it!" Jack moved in between them and pulled Gothel's hand off of her.

"You can't touch her, you will not touch her!" Jack was yelling, Rapunzel had never heard him yell before. She stood behind him, unsure of what to think of the situation. It was supposed to be a happy night but she'd ruined everything with her foolishness and now her mother and the person she loved more than anyone in the world were at war with one another.

"You have no right to talk to me that way." Gothel said darkly.

"I have no right? And who the hell are you to talk about rights, you've taken every damn one of them away from her! You don't let her choose her clothes, what she eats, you won't let her go anywhere without you, you monitor everything she does, you never let her go out into the sunlight, you make her feel worthless just to make yourself feel better, you're sick!" Jack was seething, his fists were clenched and his body shook violently.

He hated Gothel, he wanted to say it, he needed to say it but he never had for Rapunzel's sake. Controlling was one thing but Gothel was obsessed with keeping her daughter away from everyone. He'd heard the abusive comments Gothel would say to her, how she'd belittled Rapunzel, how she'd make her feel ugly and stupid, worthless but Rapunzel was none of those things. And even as she stood there and took in every insult she never, ever blamed her mother. She just smiled, smiled and accepted it.

She never complained, she never asked Jack about it, she never tried to express how much it hurt her but he knew. He saw it in the way her eyes glossed over, her quiet sighs and her fingers' subtle twitches; it hurt her, how could it not? Her own mother made her feel like she was nothing and he was sick of it.

Jack was ready to say more but he was cut off by the hand of Gothel, she'd slapped him across the face so hard, his cheek burned red. Rapunzel gasped and pulled him back, she touched his cheek but he made no motion or sound to indicate it hurt.

"Let's go." Gothel reached for Rapunzel again but Jack stopped her.

"She doesn't want to go with you."

"Rapunzel get in the car." Gothel said even darker than before. Rapunzel looked from Jack to Gothel and back again. She didn't want to go with Gothel, she couldn't because Jack was right. Her mother wasn't a mother, her mother was a monster and had hurt her every way possible apart from hitting her… but she had hit Jack and that was something she wouldn't stand for.

"No." She said defiantly.

"Excuse me?" Gothel raised her hands to grab her but Jack pulled Rapunzel back.

"I don't want to go with you." She said, her voice was strong as was her eyes and stance. She refused to go back with Gothel, not now, not ever again. She pulled away from Jack and stood between him and Gothel, "You put your hand on him, that's where I draw the line."

Gothel's face changed from anger to amusement. She laughed for a good minute before she spoke again.

"You're protecting each other? How pathetically adorable. But you're out of your league children, if you don't stop this nonsense now I will make your lives hell, I will-"

"That's enough," All three turned to the stairs where North had appeared. He'd heard a good part of the conversation from his bedroom and had stepped lightly down the stairs to see what all the commotion was about, "I believe it's time you leave." He spoke with such authority that even Gothel felt a bit frightened.

"Not without _my_ daughter." She snapped back.

"Your daughter doesn't want to go with you."

"I'll call the police."

"Go ahead, and I will tell them you hit _my_ son because he was protecting her." Gothel scoffed and turned on her heel. She knew he was right and that angered her more. She pushed the table next to her and watched the lamp on top of it smash against the floor. No one made a sound.

She moved to the door and stopped to look at Rapunzel, her eyes were wide with the promise of violence. Jack reached for Rapunzel's hand and held her close.

"I'm not afraid of you." Rapunzel whispered.

Gothel gave her one last look and left the house, it wasn't the last they'd see of her.

North walked down the steps and locked the door. He turned to Rapunzel and touched her shoulder, "I will set up the guest room for you, you can stay with us tonight."

Rapunzel nodded, "Thank you so much, I can't even begin to-"

"Ah, it's alright," He smiled and patted her head. Although North had never met Rapunzel before, he had heard a lot about her. From Jack's description of her, she was like the personification of the sun, as bright as one with so much warmth to share. Meeting her now, North agreed.

"We're family, and we're happy to have you." He looked to Jack for a moment, who wore an expression of pure gratitude, before heading up the stairs to prepare Rapunzel's room. When he was out of sight, Rapunzel fell to her knees, her body was shaking. Jack dropped to his and held her close.

"I'm so sorry Jack, I ruined your birthday." She was sobbing now and his hands were around her waist, trying to keep her from falling down altogether.

"It's going to be okay." He whispered, "Things will get better, you'll see." She lifted her head and nodded. She knew it wasn't the end, Gothel would be back, with the police or some court order, something. But Rapunzel also knew she was 18 and by law her mother didn't have a right to say she had to come home.

_It was never a home, Jack's right, she was abusive._

He helped her up, hugged her, kissed her and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Come on Punz, don't be sad." He didn't mean to sound careless, he just couldn't stand to see her this way. She understood the intention and smiled at him, "I'm not, I mean I am… but it's going away. This means I can apply for college, this means maybe… I can go to art school!" She clapped her hands, "Maybe I can work at that daycare too!" She started to jump up and down as every thing she'd ever hoped for suddenly became possible with her new found freedom. Jack laughed and twirled her around, "There we go, that's my Punz." She sighed, relieved that things were already looking up.

"Happy Birthday Jack," She said witha laugh, partly with a guilty feeling, partly with the appreciation of the irony in it.

"It is, it really is a good one Punz, the girl I love is happy, so I'm happy, as sappy as that sounds." He rolled his eyes. She laughed, and buried her head in his chest.

"And you'll take me on adventures." She whispered.

"Tons of them, but we have to be careful, if you get arrested they'll never let you work at a daycare." Rapunzel laughed again and rested her head on his shoulder, he always knew what to say to get her to smile.

He let his fingers trail down her hair, she ran her own hands over his chest, there was nothing but silence and their breaths, they were at home with one another, completely at home.


End file.
